Other View: Braun will need to say what he did wrong

We're a forgiving nation, especially when it comes to our sports stars. But for there to be redemption, there first has to be confession.

That's a truth Ryan Braun needs to realize.

Braun, the centerpiece of the Milwaukee Brewers franchise, was suspended by Major League Baseball for the rest of the season for ...

What, exactly?

That's the point. We don't know. His teammates don't know. Heck, even his manager didn't seem to know.

"I wish we all knew what was going on," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I doubt we ever will. I doubt that I'll ever know what this is all about."

Braun's apology statement Monday after he was suspended was vague.

"I realize now that I have made some mistakes," Braun said. "I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions."

But what mistakes? What actions?

Did he take performance-enhancing drugs? That seems to be the logical conclusion based on Major League Baseball's investigation of Tony Bosch and his Biogenesis clinic in Miami, which has been linked to PEDs.

But it could be something else - something more or something less than that.

Roenicke didn't get any more of an answer, nor did general manager Doug Melvin or Braun's Brewers teammates.

Braun may be muzzled based on his plea agreement with Major League Baseball. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Wednesday that Braun may be waiting for the full investigation to conclude. Or Braun might be trying to say as little as he can, to help protect his own image.

History suggests that would be the case. Braun professed his innocence up and down in 2012, when he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels. The aspersions he cast on the testing process, and the collector of his urine sample in particular, led to a successful appeal.

This time, Braun admits he's guilty. But at some point, he's going to have to be a stand-up guy.

Until he says what he's guilty of, it's going to be hard for anyone - the Brewers or their fans - to forgive him and help him repair what's left of his image.

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Other View: Braun will need to say what he did wrong

We're a forgiving nation, especially when it comes to our sports stars. But for there to be redemption, there first has to be confession.

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